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All-advanced life support vs tiered-response ambulance systems
J Stout1, P E Pepe, V N Mosesso
1Paramedics Plus, Inc., West River, Maryland 20778, USA.
Prehospital Emergency Care
|January 14, 2000
Summary
Comparing ambulance systems, an all-advanced life support (all-ALS) model with system status management (SSM) offers efficiency and revenue. A tiered system in urban areas can improve response times and paramedic skill use.
Area of Science:
- Emergency Medical Services (EMS)
- Healthcare Operations Management
Background:
- Ambulance deployment significantly impacts emergency response efficiency and cost.
- Two primary models exist: all-advanced life support (all-ALS) and tiered systems (paramedic and basic emergency medical technician-B or EMT-B).
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare and contrast the operational and fiscal advantages of all-ALS and tiered ambulance deployment systems.
- To explore how system status management (SSM) techniques influence ambulance system performance.
Main Methods:
- Comparative analysis of two ambulance deployment models: sole-provider all-ALS and tiered systems.
- Discussion of system status management (SSM) techniques for optimizing ambulance deployment.
Main Results:
- The all-ALS system, when managed with SSM, can reduce response times, improve fiscal and operational efficiency, and increase revenue through expanded services.
- Tiered systems in urban settings may reduce response times to critical calls via dispatch triage, potentially requiring fewer paramedics and enhancing skills utilization.
Conclusions:
- Both all-ALS and tiered ambulance systems offer distinct advantages based on local EMS needs and healthcare philosophies.
- The choice of system deployment requires careful consideration of local demands, funding, and medical quality concerns.